In situ synthesis and thermal,tribological properties of thermosetting polyimide/graphene oxide nanocomposites

The full exfoliation graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were synthesized by an improved Hummers’ method. The phenylethynyl terminated thermosetting polyimide (PI) and PI/GO nanocomposites were prepared via a polymerization of monomer reactants process. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the incorporation of GO increased the thermal stability of the PI at low filling content. The friction and wear testing results of the PI and PI/GO nanocomposites under dry sliding condition against GCr15 steel showed that the addition of GO evidently improved the friction and wear properties of PI, which were considered to be the result of the formation of uniform transfer film and the increasing of load-carrying capacity. The friction and wear properties of the PI and PI/GO nanocomposites were investigated on a model ring-on-block test rig under dry sliding conditions against the GCr15 steel. Experimental results showed that the addition of GO evidently improved the friction and wear properties of PI, which were considered to be the result of the formation of uniform transfer film and the increasing of load-carrying capacity. The optimum GO content of nanocomposite for tribological properties is 3 wt%, which could be a potential candidate for tribo-material under dry sliding condition against GCr15 steel.     

氧化石墨烯及其氧化铁复合物的原位合成

开发了在富氧Fe(acac),络合物体系中膨化氧化石墨制取氧化石墨烯/Fe2O3复合物的一步法.应用FT-IR、XRD、VSM、AFM及低温直流电导测量法对所制氧化石墨/Fe2O3复合物进行表征.FT-IR研究结果显示:膨化后,氧化石墨的环氧基团分解,同时形成了氧化铁粒子与氧化石墨烯复合物.AFM测试表明:在较高Fe2O3含量下,氧化石墨烯片层结构剥蚀形成厚达5 mm氧化石墨烯叠层.VSM研究显示:在室温和0.13 emu/g～5.5 emu/g范围内,全部复合物呈铁磁特性.这些复合物的导电性受控于准电子跃迁机制.     

In situ synthesis of graphene/cobalt nanocomposites and their magnetic properties

Graphene, which possesses unique nanostructure and excellent properties, is considered as a low cost alternative to carbon nanotubes in nanocomposites. In this study, we present a simple in situ approach for the deposition of cobalt (Co) nanoparticles onto surfaces of graphene sheets by hydrazine hydrate reduction. The as-synthesized composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. It was shown that the as-formed Co nanoparticles were densely and homogeneously deposited on the surfaces of the graphene sheets and as a result, the restacking of the as-reduced graphene sheets was effectively inhibited. Magnetic studies reveal that the graphene/Co nanocomposite displays ferromagnetic behavior with saturation magnetizations of 53.4 emu g⁻¹, remanent magnetization of 6.0 emu g⁻¹ and coercivity of 226 Oe at room temperature, which make it promising for practical applications in future nanotechnology.     

Electrical and mechanical properties of PMMA/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites prepared via in situ polymerization

We report the effect of filler incorporation techniques on the electrical and mechanical properties of reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-filled poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposites. Composites were prepared by three different techniques, viz. in situ polymerisation of MMA monomer in presence of RGO, bulk polymerization of MMA in presence of PMMA beads/RGO and by in situ polymerization of MMA in presence of RGO followed by sheet casting. In particular, the effect of incorporation of varying amounts (i.e. ranging from 0.1 to 2 % w/w) of RGO on the electrical, thermal, morphological and mechanical properties of PMMA was investigated. The electrical conductivity was found to be critically dependent on the amount of RGO as well as on the method of its incorporation. The electrical conductivity of 2 wt% RGO-loaded PMMA composite was increased by factor of 10⁷, when composites were prepared by in situ polymerization of MMA in the presence of RGO and PMMA beads, whereas, 10⁸ times increase in conductivity was observed at the same RGO content when composites were prepared by casting method. FTIR and Raman spectra suggested the presence of chemical interactions between RGO and PMMA matrix, whereas XRD patterns, SEM and HRTEM studies show that among three methods, the sheet-casting method gives better exfoliation and dispersion of RGO sheets within PMMA matrix. The superior thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of composites prepared by sheet-casting method provided a facile and logical route towards ultimate target of utilizing maximum fraction of intrinsic properties of graphene sheets.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of magnetic reduced graphene oxide sheets

We demonstrated an environmental friendly and efficient route for preparation of magnetic reduced graphene oxide composite (MN-CCG). Glucose was used as the reducing agent in this one-step hydrothermal method. The reducing process was accompanied by generation of magnetic nanoparticles. The structure and composition of the nanocomposite was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the prepared MN-CCG is highly water suspendable and sensitive to magnetic field.     

Ultrasound-assisted fabrication of dispersed two-dimensional copper/reduced graphene oxide nanosheets nanocomposites

Graphene oxide nanosheets (GOS) were employed as template and hydrazine hydrate was used as reductant for GOS and cupric ion. Highly dispersed two-dimensional (2D) copper/reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (Cu/RGOS) nanocomposites were effectively fabricated by ultrasound-assisted electroless copper plating process. Sandwich-like 2D Cu/RGOS nanocomposites consist of uniform Cu layer on the both side of centric RGOS. The Cu layer with thickness of about 60 nm exhibits almost single-crystalline with (1 1 1) preferred crystalline direction and have tight binding with RGOS. The effect of ultrasound on electroless Cu plating includes: accelerating deposition rate, enhancing interfacial bonding and preventing 2D Cu/RGOS nanocomposites from aggregating.     

Straightforward synthesis of hyperbranched polymer/graphene nanocomposites from graphite oxide via in situ grafting from approach

The grafting of graphite oxide (GO) with cyclic ether monomers, directly affords grafting with hyperbranched polymers. The resulting nanocomposites show good solubility in the solvents of polymers, exfoliation of graphene in the polymer matrix and excellent mechanical properties and robustness under bending.     

Reduction efficiencies of natural substances for reduced graphene oxide synthesis

Journal of Materials Science - Synthesis of graphene by reducing graphene oxide is the most propitious route for bulk graphene production. Reduction using eco-friendly techniques is more feasible...     

Preparation and properties of reduced graphene oxide/polyacrylonitrile nanocomposites using polyvinyl phenol

Nanocomposites of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were prepared using a solution mixing technique employing polyvinyl phenol (PVP) as a compatibilizer. The PVP can facilitate composite formation by interacting with both rGO and PAN via π-π and H-bonding respectively. Various amounts of rGO were used to prepare PAN nanocomposites. The cross-sectional morphology of the composite films shows a uniform dispersion of rGO sheets in the PAN matrix. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) studies revealed that good interaction of the rGO/PVP hybrid with PAN. The wide angle x-ray diffraction (WAXS) study confirms that the rGO sheets were uniformely dispersed as individual sheets in the PAN matrix. Thermogravimetric analysis shows enhanced thermal stability of the composite compared to pure PAN. The tensile strength and elastic modulus of the nanocomposites increased with increasing rGO content. A 102% enhancement in tensile strength and a 62.9% enhancement in elastic modulus were observed in the nanocomposite with 5% rGO.     

In situ tuning of graphene oxide morphology by electrochemical exfoliation

Journal of Materials Science - This paper illustrates the electrochemical exfoliation of graphite for the synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) with few layers. Innovative design and arrangement of...     

Thermally reduced graphene oxide: synthesis,studies and characterization

The main purpose of this study is to synthesize reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using graphite (GR) as a starting material. This paper explains didactic step-by-step of the synthesis, the role of each reagent, showing pictures of the entire process and including a well-explained characterization study. The rGO was prepared using modified Hummer’s method, followed by thermal reduction. The materials were characterized from the starting material (GR), through the intermediate material (GO) and finally the material of interest (rGO). Various techniques and procedures were used to characterize the materials such as X-ray diffraction, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electrochemical characterization and dispersion analysis. Morphological and structural characterization of the obtained materials suggests that the synthesis and reduction to obtain rGO were effective. The obtained materials were electrochemically evaluated using ferri/ferrocyanide redox probe. The association of chemical oxidation of GR with KMnO₄ in the presence of H₂SO₄ with further thermal reduction makes possible to produce rGO in large scale and with quality as noticed by outstanding electrochemical behavior toward the redox couple [Fe(CN)₆]^3?/[Fe(CN)₆]^4? probe.     

A review of top-down and bottom-up synthesis methods for the production of graphene,graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide

Journal of Materials Science - As nanotechnology floods application areas like medicine, electronics, water remediation, space and textiles, just to name a few, some nanomaterials remain in the...     

Polyacrylonitrile nanofiber membranes incorporated with large reduced graphene oxide content in situ

Journal of Materials Science - This work demonstrates an effective strategy for preparing electrospun composite membranes consisting of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers and a large amount of...     

溶剂热法制备Fe_3O_4/氧化石墨烯复合材料及其性能研究

以氧化石墨和二茂铁为原料,采用溶剂热法原位一步合成了Fe3O4/还原氧化石墨烯(Fe3O4/RGO)复合物,通过X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、振动样品磁强计(VSM)、循环伏安测试等手段对复合材料的形貌、结构、磁性能和电化学性能进行了表征。结果表明,该方法具有简单、可控的优点,通过调变前驱物中氧化石墨和二茂铁的比例,可以控制复合物中Fe3O4纳米粒子的负载量。所制备Fe3O4/RGO复合材料由平均粒径约20nm的Fe3O4纳米颗粒高度分散在还原氧化石墨烯片层上组成,具有较好的超顺磁性,电化学稳定性和良好的倍率性能。     

Enhancement of electroconductivity of polyaniline/graphene oxide nanocomposites through in situ emulsion polymerization

The present study introduces a systematic approach to disperse graphene oxide (GO) during emulsion polymerization (EP) of Polyaniline (PANI) to form nanocomposites with improved electrical conductivities. PANI/GO samples were fabricated by loading different weight percents (wt%) of GO through modified in situ EP of the aniline monomer. The polymerization process was carried out in the presence of a functionalized protonic acid such as dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid, which acts both as an emulsifier and protonating agent. The microstructure of the PANI/GO nanocomposites was studied by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared, differential thermal, and thermogravimetric analyses. The formed nanocomposites exhibited superior morphology and thermal stability. Meanwhile, the electrical conductivities of the nanocomposite pellets pressed at different applied pressures were determined using the four-probe analyzer. It was observed that the addition of GO was an essential component to improving the thermal stability and electrical conductivities of the PANI/GO nanocomposites. The electrical conductivities of the nanocomposites were considerably enhanced as compared to those of the individual PANI samples pressed at the same pressures. An enhanced conductivity of 474 S/m was observed at 5 wt% GO loading and an applied pressure of 6 t. Therefore, PANI/GO composites with desirable properties for various semiconductor applications can be obtained by in situ addition of GO during the polymerization process.     

In situ synthesis of silver/chemically reduced graphene nanocomposite and its use for low temperature conductive paste

In this work, we succeeded in the synthesis of Ag/chemically reduced graphene (Ag/G) nanocomposite by a facile in situ one-pot solvothermal route. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results revealed the formation of Ag and the reduction of graphite oxide to graphene during the one-pot process. Scanning electron microscopy observation indicated that spherical Ag particles with a size less than 100 nm are wrapped by graphene. The Ag/G nanocomposite was used in a low temperature conductive paste. Thermal analysis was conducted to determine the proper curing process of the Ag/G conductive paste. The Ag/G conductive paste that contains 0.6 wt% graphene exhibits low sheet resistance (22 mΩ/sq/25 µm) and good stability after cured at 150?°C for 30 min, which made us believe that the Ag/G nanocomposite is a promising candidate for conductive paste.     

Non-covalently modified reduced graphene oxide/polyurethane nanocomposites with good mechanical and thermal properties

Non-covalently modified graphene nanosheets were prepared by reduction graphene oxide with hydrazine hydrate and simultaneous non-covalent functionalization via 1-allyl-methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl) ionic liquid. Atomic force microscopy revealed that AmimCl ionic liquid modified graphene (IL-G) was well-dispersed in a single exfoliation with a thickness of around 0.96 nm in DMF. Subsequently, the prepared IL-G nanosheets were incorporated into polyurethane (PU) to fabricate IL-G/PU nanocomposites by solution blending. X-ray diffraction disclosed an exfoliated morphology of IL-G nanosheets dispersed in the PU matrix, while the fractured morphology of the IL-G/PU nanocomposites showed that IL-G nanosheets presented a wrinkled morphology when dispersed in the matrix. Both techniques revealed homogeneous dispersion and good compatibility of IL-G nanosheets with PU matrix, indicating the existence of interfacial interactions. At 0.608 wt% loadings of IL-G nanosheets, the tensile strength and storage modulus of the composites were increased by 68.5 and 81.1 %, respectively. High thermal properties were also achieved at a low loading of IL-G nanosheets. An approximately 40 °C improvement in temperature of 5 % weight loss and 34 % increase in thermal conductivity were obtained at just 0.608 wt% loading of IL-G nanosheets.